Alternative Medicine Leaders to Hold Cancer Research Symposium; Berkley Bedell to be Honored

11/8/2002

From: John Daniel Begg of National Foundation for Alternative Medicine, 202-463-4900, 202-966-8029 (direct) or 202-997-3733 (mobile); Web: http://www.nfam.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Hollywood celebrities, well known politicians, top level MDs and medical researchers in alternative medicine will announce major new efforts to inform consumers of promising alternative therapy research for the treatment and prevention of cancer using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies.

The symposium will also honor the life work of the visionary founder of the National Foundation of Alternative Medicine, former 6 term congressman, WWII veteran aviator and world recognized Berkley(r) fishing tackle founder, Berkley Bedell. Congressman Bedell founded NFAM after using alternative therapies and surviving Lyme disease and cancer.

The mission of NFAM is to seek out effective CAM treatments now inaccessible or currently unavailable in the United States, evaluate the protocols and outcomes of these treatments and report the findings to the general public free of any charge.

The event will be held at the Madison Hotel at Washington on Saturday, Nov. 16. The daylong symposium will culminate in a black tie affair from 6:30-10:30 PM.

FORMER CONGRESSMAN, ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE VISIONARY AND WWII AVIATOR BERKLEY BEDELL.

The day will chronicle and celebrate the heroism and devotion of Bedell as a successful businessman, politician, WWII veteran aviator and founder of the National Foundation for Alternative Medicine, NFAM.

Bedell served as a flight instructor in World War II, served in Congress for six terms representing Iowa and served the nation as an inspirational leader of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) movement. Bedell and his wife Elinor have devoted the golden years of their lives and all their resources to bringing the best new CAM medical treatments to suffering people worldwide through the application of meticulous and unbiased research in CAM.

NFAM is an information resource for cancer patients and for those who suffer from other degenerative diseases. NFAM provides alternative medicine information and resources to people free of any charge.

The 5th anniversary symposium and gala of the NFAM on Nov. 16 will also unveil the formation of strategic alliances between NFAM and new partners in CAM research and education. NFAM will forge partnerships in research with The Cancer Treatment Research Foundation and The Samueli Institute. These associations will benefit the foundation in the conducting of international phase II clinical trials, including ongoing trials in Germany and Italy and projected trials in Canada and South America.

"These research collaborations will help those in the CAM field work together to provide clear and concise answers to life and death questions in a world in which there is right now a good deal of chaos about just what CAM means," Bedell said.

NFAM will likewise announce strategic partnerships in education at the gala November 16th. NFAM will join forces with Conscious Media and Wisdom Television And Radio Network to advance the cause of education in the CAM field. These associations will help to advance the educational initiatives of the foundation in America and overseas, where NFAM will soon open a satellite office at London.

"As with our research partners, these educational collaborations will help to move the CAM field to a new level of public awareness and again help to provide clear and concise information to all those who seek advice about where to turn for help in times of serious illness," Bedell said.

The first focus of NFAM has been on cancer, but the foundation has begun initial site visits to clinics that treat other degenerative diseases. NFAM is the only entity in the United States that actively reviews international clinics treating such degenerative diseases. In addition to this unique investigative role, NFAM makes the vital information that results from these investigations readily available to the American public, free of any charge.

In his political life, Bedell is most noted for having served six-terms as a US Congressman from Iowa, working with Sen. Tom Harkin to establish the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health and working with Senator Tom Daschle to assist in writing and advocating for the Access to Medical Treatment Act.

In addition to honoring Bedell, at the gala NFAM will announce that twelve distinguished leaders in the CAM field received special leadership awards. "These twelve NFAM Founder's Award recipients have shown great spirit, courage and tenacity in fighting for the rights of all citizens so that we all may benefit from the best available information about the best available CAM remedies." I am very proud to introduce these Award recipients to the public at our special evening on November 16th," Congressman Bedell said.

Press conference Nov. 16 from 6-6:45 p.m.

Editor's note: Thorough descriptions of the organizations forming alliances with NFAM mentioned in the release and biographies of the award winners mentioned follow.

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THE NFAM 2002 FOUNDER'S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE FIELD OF COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Candace Campbell: Executive Director of the national advocacy organization, The American Association for Health Freedom, Campbell has lobbied intensively for the passage of the "Access to Medical Treatment Act" and her organization functions as the foremost political voice protecting the rights of complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners.

Larry Dossey, MD: Executive Editor of the peer-reviewed journal, Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, Dr. Dossey is also the author of nine books on the merging of spirituality and medicine. Although deeply rooted in the scientific world, Dr. Dossey has become an internationally influential advocate of the role of the mind in health and the role of spirituality in healthcare.

Lothar Hirneise: Lothar Hirneise is President and Founder of People against Cancer Germany, a non-profit organization established to promote international research, education and consulting regarding alternative, as well as conventional cancer therapies. His latest book, Chemotherapy Cures Cancer and the World is Flat, became a bestseller within a few months in Germany and it includes Hirneise's research results on over 100 alternative cancer therapies.

Wayne Jonas, MD: As the Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine, now called The National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health from 1995-98, Dr. Jonas created 13 major research centers and managed more than 50 research projects, helping to set the national agenda for complementary and alternative medicine in the 21st century. Dr. Jonas is currently the Director of the Samueli Institute, an international research organization reviewing the biology of healing and its relationship to health and disease.

Diane Ladd: Actress, director, producer, three-time Academy Award nominee and winner of the British Academy Award, Ladd is a passionate public advocate for complementary & alternative medicine who has testified before Congress on CAM issues. Ladd is a certified nutritional counselor and has authored a nutritional health book, Spiraling Through the School of Life.

Ralph Moss, PhD: Dr. Moss is an internationally acclaimed and respected science writer and patient advocate who has spent more than 20 years traveling the world in search of valid alternative cancer treatments. He is the author of 11 books and 3 documentaries on cancer-related topics and publishes The Moss Reports for cancer patients.

James Oschman, PhD: International authority and author of 2 books on energy medicine, Dr. Oschman, a former academic cell biologist, has also published over 60 research articles. His goal is to bridge the intellectual barriers between different approaches to clinical medicine so that new discoveries can be made to enhance patient care.

Linda Peeno, MD: Dr. Peeno is a former HMO medical reviewer and hospital ethics committee chair who became a moral crusader against the abuses of managed care. She is the nation's leading expert on the operational and ethical problems of American corporate healthcare. In the television movie made about her experiences, actress Laura Dern portrayed her.

Candace Pert, PhD and Michael Ruff, PhD: A groundbreaking neuroscientist and research professor, Dr. Pert is credited with the discovery of the opiate receptor and is the author of the best-selling book, Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel. She and Dr. Ruff, her research partner and husband, are pioneers in the field of emotions and healing and the interconnectedness of the brain and the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. They are senior researchers at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Joseph Pizzorno, Jr. ND: Dr. Pizzorno is the President Emeritus of Bastyr University, an institution he co-founded in 1978 and that now is the nation's leading academic center in the natural health sciences. He is the author of three books on the healing traditions of natural medicine and he is a physician, researcher, lecturer, journal editor and educator with over 25 years of experience in the field of natural health.

Bernie Siegel, MD: Internationally known inspirational speaker and former surgeon, Dr. Siegel is the author of 8 books, including Love, Medicine & Miracles. In 1978 he started Exceptional Cancer Patients, an organization that focuses on the healing potential present in every patient. Dr. Siegel is very involved in humanizing medical education and in making the medical profession aware of the mind-body connection in healing.

Susan Silberstein, PhD: Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education, Dr. Silberstein established this non-profit patient advisory and referral service in 1977, following her young husband's death from cancer. She and the staff of volunteers she has trained have counseled over 20,000 patients in the past 25 years without ever charging a fee.

Demetrio Sodi-Pallares, MD: An internationally recognized cardiologist, Dr. Sodi-Pallares is also a cancer researcher and author of 16 books and 300 scientific papers and has been awarded over 100 honorary degrees. He achieved international fame by demonstrating dramatic results treating cardiovascular diseases and advanced cancers, and he currently collaborates with approximately 100 physicians in Central and South America.

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Wisdom Media Group: WISDOM Television is the mind, body, spirit, and earth network for the millions of Americans searching for ways to live happier, healthier lives. It's the only network delivering high-quality, life-enhancing programming on health and wellness, relationships, parenting, spirituality, environmental issues, and community involvement 24 four hours a day.

WISDOM Television features thought-provoking and entertaining series such as: Health Choices, examining holistic health practices; Conversations with Remarkable People, offering insight into the spiritual lives of people such as Quincy Jones, Della Reese, Gloria Vanderbilt and many others; Rare Earth, providing advice and insight on the environmental problems we face; and Eye of the Spirit, featuring the today's most gifted and moving authors, teachers and visionaries.

There are more than 128 million adult(a) Americans pursuing mind, body, spirit, earth ideas and interests. It's a substantial and powerful group that generates more than $230 billion dollars in consumer spending each year(b). Only one television network is devoted to serving this market-WISDOM Television. Embrace your life, empower your self, enrich your world - every day with WISDOM Television.

Note a: based on life improvement segmentation analysis conducted by Centris Nov.1999; Note b: LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Research 2001

Conscious Media: Conscious Media is proud to partner with NFAM to design, launch and host its new Internet Global CAM Resource Center, www.nfam.org. This Resource Center will enable patients and doctors to access unbiased, scientific-based information regarding effective CAM treatments for health and healing. Conscious Media is a diversified media company that focuses on projects that make the world a more conscious place to live. Conscious Media has unparalleled expertise at developing websites (such as DrWeil.com), video programs and publications that reach and truly resonate with a core group of Americans who choose to live a conscious lifestyle. Businesses around the country turn to Conscious Media for insight on and access to this forward-thinking group of consumers whose population exceeds 50 Million. (http://www.ConsciousMedia.com & http://www.LOHASJournal.com)

Cancer Treatment Research Foundation (CTRF): Cancer Treatment Research Foundation (CTRF) is delighted to provide financial support to further the global efforts of NFAM in researching alternative cancer studies. CTRF's unparalleled 99 percent funding ratio ensures our research partners that every dollar spent goes directly to fund cutting-edge clinical research that translates into real patient impact.

CTRF was founded in 1991 based on the conviction that patients need and deserve the best possible treatments the world has to offer. It is with this in mind that CTRF strives to fund the most international innovative research. Their goal is to shorten the distance between those dedicated to treating cancer and patients who are fighting for their lives. CTRF moves the best research from the laboratory to the bedside. They are committed to the eradication of cancer by relentlessly providing the most innovative and promising patient-driven clinical research that delivers immediate treatment options and a genuine hope for a cure. CTRF's passion is to change the face of cancer NOW! (http://www.CTRF.org & http://www.Payton34.org)

The Samueli Institute: The collaboration of the Samueli Institute and NFAM will enable the further development of basic science models for alternative medicine research. The Samueli Institute is dedicated to the support of rigorous and relevant scientific investigation on how biological systems interact to maintain wellness and promote healing. The Samueli Institute is an Institute without walls. To bridge across cultures and geography, the Institute has established offices on both coasts of the United States, in Europe, and soon in Asia. The goal of each office is to link with authoritative basic and clinical research centers, create professional interactions with practitioners in the region and provides rigorous quality assurance.

Samueli research is investigating the components of optimal healing and self-care environments. It is studying the fundamental mechanisms whereby informational signals promote healing, and identifying technologies to objectively monitor the energy and informational dynamics of biological systems. It is also exploring how homeopathic remedies can stimulate the self-healing power in human biology. (http://www.siib.org)